Elizabeth man arrested after bullets riddle Linden neighborhood

A Linden mother and her young son narrowly escaped injury when their house and three others in the same neighborhood were struck by gunfire, authorities said today.

Residents in the other homes also were not hurt Tuesday night despite bullets that riddled several dwellings along the 800 block of Curtis Street. Police said they arrested an Elizabeth man they saw discarding a handgun when they arrived in the area to investigate.

Anthony McGriff, 21, of Irvington Avenue in Elizabeth, is charged with weapons offenses and obstructing the administration of justice, authorities said.

Capt. Raymond Tyra said officers had responded to calls of shots being fired along Curtis Street near Lincoln Street just after 11 p.m..

In one of the homes, a 30-year-old woman had been sitting in the living room with her 4-year-old son when the gunfire erupted, according to police.

"When she heard the shots, she immediately pulled herself and her son to the floor. She heard something hit the window and saw the curtain move," Tyra said.

He said investigators discovered a bullet had entered the woman's home, traveled across the room, exited through an opposite window and lodged in the outer wall of the home next door.

Officer Airan Fernandez and other officers saw a group standing near the corner of Lincoln and East Curtis streets. When they approached the group, two individuals ran from the area.

Fernandez chased after the pair through several yards and saw one of them discard something over the fence. McGriff was caught by other officers when he attempted to run across Lincoln Street, authorities said.

Fernandez went to retrieve the item he saw McGriff throw to the ground and found it to be a black revolver, police said.

Six spent .45-caliber shell casings and one live .45-caliber round were found near the intersection of Lincoln and East Curtis streets, Tyra said. He said efforts are under way to recover the bullets that struck the buildings.

Tyra said the casings and any bullets found will be sent to the Union County Police laboratory to be analyzed.